Opportunity 

The Markham IDEXX facility is one of five Canadian reference diagnostic laboratories testing animal samples under the umbrella of IDEXX. The objective was a phased renovation of the existing testing laboratory, one that runs 24/7, adding functionality and supporting future growth of the diagnostic practices within the building.

Response

In addition to some minor site changes, the design encompassed the renovation of Level 1 laboratories to Canadian Biosafety CL2 requirements and selected Level 2 renovations to incorporate a barrier free universal washroom, storage, and elevator access. Each laboratory is maintained under negative pressure, except for the Histology Scanner room which is maintained under positive pressure and designated the cleanest space within the level 1 laboratory category. The demand on the building infrastructure increased and is understood to be increasing further in time. The system infrastructure upgrades allow for IDEXX to grow within the same building. A single Air Handling Unit serves each new lab space (Parasitology, Histology, and Microbiology) and the discharge air temperature will be modulated to provide cooling and heating.